The present invention relates to equipment for handling and driving sheet piles.
Because of their weight and bulk, sheet piles are dangerous to handle. In current practice, sheet piles are lifted from a horizontal position on the ground to a vertical position in the air by hoisting means with the manual assistance of workers who must stand under the sheet pile and guide it into a vertical alignment in which it can be attached to a driving means, such as a vibratory hammer. This process is both hazardous and very time-consuming.
The present invention provides a device which allows sheet piles to be lifted from a horizontal position on the ground to a vertical alignment for connection to the hammer without manual guidance from underneath the sheet pile. It therefore makes the process more safe and efficient.